What are French macarons?
A macaron looks simple and is fussy to make. This guide covers what it is, what goes into it, how it differs from a coconut macaroon, and whether to bake a batch or order a ready box.
French macarons are small almond-meringue cookies: two smooth shells made from almond flour, egg whites and sugar, sandwiched with a cream, ganache or caramel filling. A good one is crisp outside and soft inside, with a ruffled 'foot' around the base. They are not coconut macaroons, and once filled they keep best chilled for a few days.
- What it is
- A small almond-meringue cookie with a filling
- Shell
- Almond flour, egg white and sugar
- Texture
- Crisp outside, soft inside, with a ruffled foot
- Not
- Not a coconut macaroon
- Keeps
- Chilled, within a few days
What are French macarons?
A macaron is a small cookie built from a meringue of almond flour, egg white and sugar. Two shells are baked and then sandwiched around a filling. The Parisian version with the filling, the one most people picture, is the style the house of Ladurée made famous in the early twentieth century.
Macaron or macaroon?
A macaron is this almond cookie with the smooth shell and the little foot. A macaroon is a different sweet, a dense coconut mound that is often dipped in chocolate. The names are close and share a root, which is why the two get mixed up, yet on the plate they are easy to tell apart.
What are macarons made of?
The shell needs only three things: finely ground almond flour, egg whites and sugar. The filling is usually a buttercream, a ganache or a caramel such as salted caramel. Almonds and egg are in every shell, and milk is in most fillings, so macarons are not allergen-free. Under EU food-information rules a seller declares these allergens, so ask before you order for someone with an allergy.
- Almonds, a tree nut, in every shell
- Egg white, in every shell
- Milk, in most buttercream and ganache fillings
How macarons are really made at home
No single step is complicated. The trouble is that each one has to go right, and a small mistake shows up in the finished shell.
- Grind and sift the almond flour until it is fine, so the tops bake smooth
- Age the egg whites a day ahead and whisk them to a firm, glossy meringue
- Fold the almond and sugar into the meringue until the batter runs off the spatula in a slow ribbon; bakers call this macaronage
- Pipe even rounds and leave them to rest until a dry skin forms on top
- Bake at a steady, moderate heat and watch for the ruffled foot to rise around each shell
Humidity in the kitchen, the oven temperature and how far you fold the batter all change the result. That is why macarons have a name for being fussy, and why first attempts so often crack, hollow out or come out with no foot.
Bake a batch, or order a ready box?
If you enjoy a long baking project, a first batch is a good challenge. If you want macarons for a gift or a table on a set date, the sums look different once you add up the time, the equipment and the tries it usually takes to get a clean shell.
| Baking at home | A ready box from us | |
|---|---|---|
| Ingredients | Fine almond flour, aged egg whites, caster sugar | Included |
| Equipment | Kitchen scales, an oven thermometer, a silicone mat, a piping bag | None needed |
| Hands-on time | Two to three hours, plus resting time for the shells | A few minutes to place the order |
| Skill | Macaronage and the feet are easy to get wrong, and first attempts often fail | Made by hand, consistent batch to batch |
| Cost | Ingredients per batch, equipment once, and the first batches that fail | €16 |
The box price is the live price from our shop.
Questions and answers
What is a French macaron?
A French macaron is a small almond-meringue cookie: two shells of almond flour, egg white and sugar with a cream, ganache or caramel filling. The shell is crisp, the centre soft, and a small ruffled foot sits around the base.
What is the difference between a macaron and a macaroon?
A macaron is the smooth almond cookie with a filling, while a macaroon is a dense coconut sweet, often dipped in chocolate. They share a name and a root but are different cookies.
What are macarons made of?
Macaron shells are made of almond flour, egg whites and sugar, filled with buttercream, ganache or a caramel such as salted caramel. Every shell contains almonds and egg, and most fillings contain milk.
How long do macarons keep?
Filled macarons keep best in the fridge and taste their best within a few days. Let them come to room temperature for a few minutes before serving so the filling softens.
Why are macarons hard to make at home?
Macarons are hard at home because the folding (macaronage), the resting and the oven heat all have to be right, and first attempts often crack or come out with no foot. A small change in humidity or temperature shows up in the shell.
Updated: 11 November 2026
Sources
- History & Origin of the Macaron - Ladurée
- Macaron - American Society of Baking (BAKERpedia)
- Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 (food information, allergens) - EUR-Lex
- How to store macarons - Ladurée